MV Cape Ray (T-AKR 9679)

- formerly SAUDI MAKKAH, formerly SEASPEED ASIA -

Sorry,no coat of armsavailable.

Built in 1977, the ship was delivered to Saudi Arabia's National Ship Co. as MV SEASPEED ASIA. Later renamed SAUDI MAKKAH, she was purchased by the Maritime Administration in 1993 and was subsequently converted for military use. Renamed MV CAPE RAY (T-AKR 9679), she was assigned to the Ready Reserve Force on December 17, 1994. Since then, she is maintained in reduced operating status in a layberth at Portsmouth, Va. If required, she can be fully activated within 5 days.

In late 2013, the CAPE RAY was equipped with the Field Deployable Hydrolysis System, which was designed by the US Defense Department to neutralize components used in chemical weapons. The CAPE RAY was part of the US' offer to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to destroy some of Syria's chemical weapons. The work would then be done in a Mediterranean port.

The photo below was taken by me and shows the CAPE RAY at her layberth at Portsmouth, Va., on October 27, 2010.

The photo below was taken by me and shows the CAPE RAY at her layberth at Portsmouth, Va., on May 6, 2012.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the CAPE RAY at her layberth at Portsmouth, Va., on October 28, 2013.

The photos below were taken by me and show the CAPE RAY arriving at Bremen, Germany, to offload the remains of the neutralized Syrian chemcial weapons. The ship neutralized more than 600 metric tons of the chemicals while in the Mediterranean and subsequently transported them to Finland and Germany for final disposal. The photos were taken on September 4, 2014.